Window



April 6 1926. 1,579,926

J. w. GREER WINDOW Filed April 1 1925 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

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Application filed A ril 18, 1555] Sean was.

an Improvement in YVin'dows, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to the Window of a confectionery coating ,machine, and more particularly to means for exerting a COIltlIluous litting force upon the window to hold it in diiierent open posit-ions.

Goating machines such as are used to de posit hot chocolate or icingupon confections are commonly provided with a sliding window that closes an entrance to the coating mechanism, and during the operation of the machine it is necessary to open the window at frequent intervals to obtain access to the coatingmechanism and to vary the temperature within the coating machine, andin some casesit may be necessary to raise the window slightly to clear the confections upon the conveyormechan sm.

Since in operating the coating machine it is frequently necessary to raise and lower this window, it is importantetha t the window be constructed so that it will operate easily and will remain in the difi'erent positions to which it maybe adjusted I Heretofore counterbalancin'g weights have been employed tohold the coating machine window inits different positions of adjustment, but such weights, are notsatisfactory, due to the lack of a sufficient space in which they may be suspended, and to, other causes.

The present invention therefore relates to novel means associated with the sliding window of a coating machine for holding the window in its different positions of adjustment; 7

The various features of the invention will be best understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings of a good practical form of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a pers'pective' view of a confectionery coating machine provided with a sliding Window and having the window supporting. means of the present invention associated therewith; V 4

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the window supporting portion of the coating machine, with parts shown section.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the portion of the coating machine provided with the sliding window. p t I F slisa sectional view taken on the line h o F 3; a

on anenlarged scale is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. i

E Coating machines of the type with which the pfesent invention is associated usually consist of a closechmetal casing 10 and the casing is made relatively tight to prevent the heat of the hot chocolate or other coatin material from escaping.

\ ihese. coating machines are commonly providecl vitli conveyors such as 11 and 12 tor passing the confections to be treated thru the coating machine where the coating in liquid form is deposited upon the con- -1 .1 i

i It is necessary to ins set at frequent intervals the operation of die coating mechanism within the casing 10 and these machines are thereforecommofily provided with a vertically slidingyvindow thru which. the sea n eps te ioemey be f i dt i also'negessary to raise and lower theivindow ti qe nt n i t vary temp U1 f9 l l ILih5 95$ ng l li t6 e ur a:- cess to the parts within thecasing. It is thereiore important that the window 13 be so constructed that willop'ciateasily and will remain at position to which it may be raised, and, since the coating machine is provided with a large number of operating parts, pipes etc the means for holding the window inits different positions of adjustment shouldbe small and compact so as not to interiei ewith these operating parts, and preferably should be housed to protect its operat ing parts trom the chocolate which ma become deposited upon the various partsof the casing 10. The means for holding'the window inits different raised positions should also be constructed so that the same will not be injured or disassembled when. the coating machine is shipped or moved from place to place in the building in whiclrit used. 7 I p y In accordance with the present invention the window 13 provided. with side bars 1a which are rigidly secured in spaced relation by horizontally entending rods 15, the endspf whichmay be riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the side bars 14, and a ing by bolts 25.

side face of each of the side bars 14 is provided with rack teeth 16. Within the frame formed by the side pieces 14 and the bars 15 is mounted the sheet of glass 17, and it may be secured in place by providing each bar 15 with a sheet metal strip 18 which is bent about the bar, as best shown in Fig. 5, and has spaced parallel blades disposed at the sides of the sheet of glass, and a sheet of felt or other backing material'19 is preferably provided between the spaced sheets of the strip 18 and the glass 17.

The side bars of the window slide in grooves or slideways formed in the opposite walls of the casing 10 and the window 13 is positioned so that when it is closed its lower edge lies a slight distance above the upper run of the conveyor 11, and when the window is opened itextends upwardly beyond the top 20 of the casing 10. In the construction shown, strips of metal 21 are secured to the opposite sides of the casing 10 so that they extend inwardly a short distance over the side edges of the'window 13 to retain the same in place in'its slideway.

The means of the present invention'for exerting a continuous lifting force upon the window to counterbalance its weight consists of gears 22 which are supported above the cover 20 of the coating machine in position to engage the racks 16 of the window, and these gears are preferably rigidly secured to a transversely extending shaft 23 which is rotatably supported near its opposite ends by brackets 24 secured tothe top of the cas- Thebrackets 24 are preferably made hollow so that they will house the gears 22 and the gear receiving opening within each bracket 24 is closed by a cover vplate 26 secured in place by screws 27.

In orderlto exert a rotating force upon the gears 22 which will counterbalance the weight of the window, a relatively long coiled spring 28 is provided about the shaft 23 and one end of this spring is secured to a bracket 24 as at 29 and the other end of this spring is secured to a sleeve 30 mounted upon the shaft 23 and rigidly secured thereto by a set screw or the like 31. The'spring 28 tends to rotate the shaft and gears in the 'window lifting direction, and the length of the spring is such that it will rotate the gears thru several complete revolutions to support the window inany position without appreciably decreasing the tension of the spring.

It is desirable to provide a housing for the spring 28 and this is accomplished by providing a tube 32 that extends lengthwise of the shaft 23 about the coiled spring, and one end of this tube may be rigidly secured to the sleeve 30, while the opposite end of this tube may be rotatably supported by an annular projection 33 upon the right-hand bracket 24. The tension of the spring 28 may be varied as desired by loosening the set screw 31 and then rotating the tube 32 upon the shaft 23 until the desired tension is placed upon the spring 28, whereupon the set screw 31 may be tightened to secure the parts in this position of adjustment, and the tension of the spring should be such that it will permit the window to be easily raised and lowered and will support it in any raised position.

As stated, the confectionery coating cas-' ing 10 should be approximately air-tight to prevent heat from escaping therefrom, and, in order to provide a tight joint between the WlIlClOW 13 and the cover 20 of the casing,

a piece of felt or other soft, flexible materiaL 34 is preferably secured to the cover 20, so

that its outer edge will rest against the glass 17 of the window to prevent the escape of air between the window and the cover 20.

Claims 1. In combination with a window mounted for vertical sliding movement in its supporting frame, racks secured'to the opposite sides of the window to move up and down with the window, a shaft extending across the upper portion'of the window frame, fixed brackets for ro tatably supporting the shaft, gears secured to the opposite ends of the shaft in position to. engage the portion of the window frame, fixed brackets at the opposite sides of the window forrotatably supporting the shaft and each formed with a gear enclosing casing, gears rigidly securedtosaid shaft within the casings to engage the racks, and a coiled spring operable to rotate the shaft in the window lifting direction to exert a lifting force upon the window.

3. In combination with a window mounted for vertical sliding movement in its supporting frame, racks secured tothe opposite sides of the window-to move therewith, fixed brackets supported at the opposite sides of the window frame near its upper end and window each bracket having a gear casing a gear mounted in each casing to engage said racks, a shaft for rotating said gears, and a coiled spring acting upon the shaft to rotate the gears in the window supporting direction.

4. In combination with a mounted for vertical sliding movement in its supporting frame, racks secured to the opposite sides of the window to move there- 'with, fixed brackets supported at the oppowindow site sides of the window and each having a gear casing, a gear mounted in each casing to engage said racks, a shaft extending across the window frame from one gear to the other to rotate the gears, and a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and having 5 one end anchored to one of said brackets and the other end secured to said shaft to rotate the gears in the window supporting direction.

5. In combination with a window 1 mounted for vertical sliding movement in 1 per end, a gear supported by each bracket in operative engagement with a rack and positioned to remain in engagement with its rack as the window is raised to its wide open position a shaft connecting the gears,

and a spring coiled about the shaft to rotate it and the gears in the window supporting direction.

6. In combination with a window mounted for vertical sliding movement in its supporting frame, racks secured to the opposite sides of the window to move therewith, fixed brackets supported at the opposite sides of the window frame near its upper end, a gear supported by each bracket in operative engagement with a rack, a shaft for rotating said gears, a tube enclosing the shaft, a coiled spring surrounding the shaft within said tube and having one end secured to a bracket and its other end secured to the tube so that the tension of the spring may be varied by rotating the tube relatively to said shaft, and means for securing the tube to the shaft to rotate the latter and the gears in the window lifting direction.

7. In combination with a casing having a closed upper end and an opening in the casing near its upper end, a vertically sliding window for closing said opening, racks secured to the opposite sides of the window to move therewith, fixed brackets mounted upon the upper end of the casing to one side of the plane of the window, gears rotatably supported by said brackets in operative engagement with the racks, and a spring acting upon the gears to rotate them in the window lifting direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JESSE W. GREEK. 

